Morphological changes in human neural cells following tick-borne encephalitis virus infection

• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.010058-0
• Publication Date: 2009-06-17T18:24:34Z
• Authors: Daniel Růžek; Marie Vancová; Martina Tesařová; Arunee Ahantarig; Jan Kopecký; Libor Grubhoffer
• Keywords: Neurons; 0301 basic medicine; Cytoplasm; 0303 health sciences; Cell Death; Cell Membrane; Virion; Apoptosis; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Cell Line; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Humans; Neuroglia; Cytoskeleton

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is one of the leading and most dangerous human viral neuroinfections in Europe north-eastern Asia. The clinical manifestations include asymptomatic infections, fevers debilitating that might progress into chronic disease or fatal infection. To understand TBE pathology further host nervous systems, three neural cell lines, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma glioblastoma, were infected with virus (TBEV). susceptibility virus-mediated cytopathic effect, including ultrastructural apoptotic changes cells, examined. All lines tested susceptible to TBEV Interestingly, cells produced about 100- 10 000-fold higher titres than conventional extraneural origin, indicating highly nature infection glioblastoma was associated a number major morphological changes, proliferation membranes rough endoplasmic reticulum extensive rearrangement cytoskeletal structures. TBEV-infected exhibited either necrotic features. We observed signs (condensation, margination fragmentation chromatin) other alterations, such as vacuolation cytoplasm, dilatation cisternae shrinkage accompanied by high density cytoplasm. On hand, neuroblastoma did not exhibit membranous virions present both Cells dying preferentially mechanisms rather apoptosis. neuropathological significance these observations discussed.